Age-dependent levels of select immunological mediators in sera of healthy children.
Serum cytokine levels were measured in 275 healthy children of different ages (3 to 17 years). Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), soluble IL-2R (sIL-2R) (sCD25), IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), soluble TNF receptor type II (sTNF-RII) (sCD120b), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) (sCD54), soluble E selectin (sE-selectin) (ELAM-1; sCD62E), sCD14, and neopterin were measured with commercial test kits. The mean levels of IL-1RA, sIL-2R, TNF-alpha, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, and sCD14 were higher than in healthy adults. In contrast, IFN-gamma and IL-8 were hardly detectable in children and thereby significantly lower than in adults. In the case of TNF-alpha, sICAM-1, sE selectin, and sCD14, there was a high interindividual variability, apparently unrelated to disease. The profiles of some cytokines, i.e., IL-1RA, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, showed age-related increases that overlapped with known patterns of physical growth. Of note, sIL-2R and sE-selectin instead declined with time. Because of the remarkable age-dependent variability in healthy pediatric subjects, disease-related changes, as well as therapy-dependent alterations, should be considered with caution.
Sack
U
U
Institute of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany. sacu@server3.medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Burkhardt
U
U
Borte
M
M
Schädlich
H
H
Berg
K
K
Emmrich
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000097:blood*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D012016:Reference Values; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D015703:Antigens, CD; D016207:Cytokines; D019040:E-Selectin; C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D019798:Neopterin; D007371:Interferon-gamma